Page 1629 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 14 May 2019

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On the topic of reducing single-use plastic I have been pleased to have had even more cafes and restaurants in my electorate sign up to the straws suck program. It is fantastic to see more and more Yerrabi businesses becoming environmentally conscious, and I am keen to see this continue with the introduction of a new initiative that I will talk about more during tomorrow’s sitting.

The people of Yerrabi continue to inspire me with their commitment to our local community. I love representing them in this place, and I look forward to heading back out into the community after this week’s sitting.

Canberra International Music Festival

MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (6.33): I want to pay tribute to and mark the successful conclusion of the 25th Canberra International Music Festival, which concluded on Sunday. For a couple of events that I was able to attend, I was really struck by the fantastic houses. It became clear to me that houses were up everywhere across the 11 days of the Canberra International Music Festival.

There are a number of interstate patrons who are coming on board with the Canberra International Music Festival, which is, as I have said, in its 25th year. It has really been able to prosper because of the great philanthropy of the late Barbara Blackman, and, in addition, the assistance of the Australia Council, artsACT and EventsACT.

I pay tribute to the organisers and principally to the chair of the Canberra International Music Festival, Ms Bev Clarke, and her great board. It is a great testament to community spirit when you consider the number of people who volunteer their services and open their homes to visiting artists and the like. It is a great testament to community spirit.

I had an opportunity to hear renowned New York jazz pianist Dan Tepfer in his rendition of the Goldberg Variations along with a fantastic Brexit Blues concert, which included some beautiful Elgar by the Brodsky Quartet, and a range of music by Cesar Franck, by Quatuor Voce and the Russian pianist Vyacheslav Gryaznov.

In addition, there were teams of concerts across the 11 days. I particularly pay tribute to outstanding local artists, including Luminescence Chamber Singers, the guitarist Callum Henshaw, the legendary cellist David Pereira, the legendary singer Tobias Cole, the Canberra Youth Orchestra, and Canberra young performers Anna Khan and Michael Cherepinskiy, who impressed audiences with a version of the opera by Helen Garner, The Children’s Bach.

The theme of this year’s Canberra International Music Festival was Re/Discover Bach. If you had never known Bach, this was your opportunity, and if you had left Bach behind, this was also your opportunity. The Canberra International Music Festival is a great testament to community spirit and community participation. It has been a fantastic opportunity to see growth and this event prospering over time.


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